1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyelectrolyte complexes (“PECs”), their precursor compositions, and methods of making and using such compositions.
2. Description of Related Art
Consumers desire cleaning products that deliver additional benefits, e.g., that stay cleaner longer, inhibit the growth of microbes, maintain appearance, etc., all without the additional effort of a separate treatment step in addition to regular cleaning.
Modification of household surfaces, both hard and soft, can provide many benefits. It is important that such modifications be reversible, and hence, do not involve the formation of permanent covalent bonds between the materials employed in the treatment.
It is also desirable that the modification be achieved via thin layers not apparent to the unaided eye in order to minimize effort needed to achieve modification and to minimize any undesirable aesthetic changes in the appearance of surfaces.
In healthcare, there is a continuing desire to reduce hospital acquired infections. Modification of surfaces achieved with a minimum of effort to reduce microbial contamination is a recognized area of interest. Related to this goal is the desire to reduce transmission of diseases from surface-borne microbial pathogens present in public places, including buildings and vehicles.
As in healthcare, removing and controlling the growth of microbes such as bacteria and fungi is important in many industrial processes. Controlling microbe growth and achieving microbe removal from surfaces affects productivity, practicality, and profitability of the process. For example, bacterial fouling of heat exchanger surfaces, fouling of web formation and handling equipment in the production or recycling of paper, and similar fouling in the processing of biomass, etc. can have a large negative impact. Modification of the surfaces involved, control of the surface properties of the microbes involved, or both can be used to prevent or minimize microbial fouling and/or to enable the efficient removal of microbial organisms from such processes.
Many commercial disinfectants employing typical quaternary ammonium biocides deposited on surfaces to reduce microbial loads tend to leave the treated surfaces sticky to the touch, which attracts dust and detritus. This leads to unsightly surfaces that require frequent cleaning and reapplication of the biocide in order to remain effective.
There is a need for concentrated compositions capable of providing stable, but thin and substantially invisible layers or particles over a surface to be treated so as to provide enhanced surface protective properties such as reduced adhesion of soil, reduced biological and environmental contamination, and the ability to kill microbes that are deposited onto the surfaces in a variety of ways (e.g., through airborne contaminants, food preparation, direct epidermal contact, exposure to bodily fluids, etc.). It would be a further advantage for such compositions to simultaneously clean and treat the surfaces to which they are applied so that separate cleaning and treatment steps are not required.